Road-rutter.



J. T. RANNEY.

ROAD RUTTEE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 7, 1911.

1,016,775. Patehted Feb. 6,1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

. a c/M/i f flaw/6y UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN T. RANNEY, 0F FORT KENT, MAINE.

ROAD-BUTTER.

emma To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JOHN T. RANNEY, acitizen of the United States, residing at Fort Kent, in the county ofAroostook and State of Maine, have invented new and useful Improvementsin Road-Butters, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to road rutters, and more particularly to theclass of attachments for sleighs known as logging sleds.

It is well known that considerable difficulty is experienced in guidingloaded logging sleighs over steep ice-covered roads, and roads coveredwith relatively hard snow, the tendency of the sleigh being to slidesidewise when ascending or descending a steep incline in the road bed.It has been found that when parallel gutters or grooves spaced apart fora distance corresponding to the distance between the sleigh runners areformed in ice-covered roads, the liability of the sleighs to skid andturn is reduced to a minimum.

Therefore, the primary object of the present invention is to provide adevice for attachment to the rear ends of the runners of an ordinarysleigh, so that when the latter is drawn over an icy road or one coveredwith hard snow, gutters or furrows will be formed in the ice or snow,thus providing tracks or gulleys to receive the runners of subsequentpassing sleighs, and in this manner, the same will be prevented fromskidding or being moved laterally from its line of draft during thetravel thereof.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an attachment ofthis character in which the snow or ice removed from the ground duringthe advancement of the sleigh, while in the act of forming the furrowsor tracks, will be directed laterally and thrown medially between thefurrows or tracks the required distance, so that it will be impossiblefor the loosened snow or ice to again fall within the furrows or tracksand thereby fill. the same.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a rutter orattachment of this character in which the deflector for later allythrowing the snow or ice removed from the furrow or track is mounted forautomatic adjustment, so that when the deflec tor strikes an obstructionor the like, it will freely pass thereover, without impeding the travelof the sleigh.

A still further object of the invention is Specification of LettersPatent.

Application filed March 7, 1911.

Patented Feb. 6, 1912.

Serial No. 612,781.

the provision of an attachment of this char .acter in which the gutterforming element is pivotally connected with the sleigh runner, so thatthe same may be forced deep into the snow, according to the requireddepth of the gutter or furrow to be opened thereby, as the sleigh isadvanced.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in theconstruction, combination and arrangement of parts, as will behereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, and pointed out in the claims hereunto appended.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation of the rear end portion ofa sleigh runner, showing my improved device applied thereto. Fig. 2 is atop plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a rear elevation. Fig. 4 is avertical longitudinal sectional view. Fig. 5 is a perspective view ofthe attachment, looking toward the bottom thereof, the same beingremoved from the sleigh runner. Fig. 6. is a sectional view on the line66 of Fig. 1.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout theseveral views of the drawings.

The rutter attachment about to be hereinafter described is intended tobe applied to the rear end of each runner of a sleigh.

With reference to the accompanying drawings by numerals, 5 designatesthe rear end portion of one of the runners of a sleigh, to which theattachment is to be applied when in use. A single runner is shown, andlikewise the attachment to merely illustrate the manner of mounting andthe operation of the latter, but of course, it is to be understood 'thata complementary attachment is to be applied to the other runner of thesleigh, so that a pair thereof will work in unison, for a purpose aswill be hereinafter more fully described.

Each attachment comprises a substantially U-shaped scraping member 6having spaced parallel limbs 7 and 8, the free ends of which are offset,as at 9, inwardly with respect to the said limbs. The limb 7 is ofslightly less depth than a greater portion of the limb 8, which isdisposed at the outer side of the runner 5, while the limb 7 is adaptedto be disposed at the inner side of the runner 5. The U-shaped scrapingmember 6, at its closed rearmost end con- V 5, near its rear end,thereby pivotally' connecting the scraping member 6 to the runner.Formed on the member 8, rearwardly of the cutting port-ion 10 of thescraping member 6, is a laterally inturncd wing 13,

to the outer face of which is pivotally connected a vertically swingingdeflector plate 14, the same being connected by means of the pivot 15 tosaid wing, and it is cut away at one corner to form a notch 16, intowhich projects a stop pin or lug 17, the

latter being adapted to limit the vertical swinging movement of theplate. It will be noted that this deflector plate 14: may swingvertically toallow the same to pass over stones or any obstructions inthe ground. However, the deflector plate, when lowered, will serve todeflect the loosened snow scraped up by the cutting portion 10 of thescraping member 6 inwardly to one side of the furrow when formed in thesnow or ice covered road.

Secured to the limb.7, medially of its length, is a vertical ear orbearing 18, the same rising in alinement with the upper edge of the limb8, and in a suitable opening formed in this bearing 18 and the limb 8 ispassed a pivot pin 19, the same being also loosely engaged in eye bolts20 secured in and depending from a platform or foot board 21, the latterbeing designed to overlie the rear end of the runner'5, and whendesired, an operator may stand upon the platform or foot board 21, sothat the weight of said operator thereon will force downwardly thescraping member 6, causing it to cut deep into the snow or ice cov-.

ered road, whereby said scraping member will open a furrow or groove inthe snow or ice, so that the runners of sleighs may travel therein afterthe furrows or grooves have been cut in the ice or snow covered road. Inthis manner the runners of subsequent passing sleighs when traveling inthe furrows will prevent such slei hs from skidding or turning laterallyfrom its line of draft. Suitably connected to the limb 8 to lie outsideof the same, is a ring 22, to which may be connected a chain or otherholding medium for sustaining the scraping member 6 in raised positionwhile not in use.

From the foregoing, it is evident that the device herein described iscomparatively simple in construction, and inexpensive to manufacture, asit embodies few parts which are so arranged that the danger ofderangement will be reduced to a minimum.

hat is claimed is:

1. A rutter attachment for sleigh runners, comprising a substantiallyU-shaped scraping member having a forwardly inclined downwardly bowedmedial portion provided with a lower cutting edge, a curved inturncdwing formed on the member rearwardly of the said downwardly curvedmedial portion thereof, and a deflector plate pivoted to said wing.

2. A rutter attachment for sleigh runners, comprising a substantiallyU-shaped scraping member having a forwardly inclined downwardly bowedmedial portion provided with a lower cut-ting edge, a curved inturncd.v

win-g formed on the member rearwardly of the said downwardly curvedmedial portion thereof, a deflector plate pivoted to said wing, andmeans on the wing and engageable with the deflector plate to limit itsswinging movement in reverse directions.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN T. RANNEY.

Witnesses ALBERTA FORDNEY, A. G. FENLASON.

Copies of this patent maybe obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

